Daily Archives: April 4, 2022

Oceans and Marine Systems

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Oceans cover the largest portion of Earth’s surface (71% of Earth’s surface is water and oceans makeup 96% of Earth’s water supply). It’s extremely important to consider and be concerned about our oceans and what climate change and human activity is inflicting upon them. Sea-level rise, ocean acidification, overfishing, pollution, ecological collapse, dead zones, and more. Within each of these larger problems are more sub-problems. Sea-level rise and polar ice caps melting, ocean acidification and the bio-pump, overfishing and bycatch, and pollution and micro plastics (the Pacific Garbage Patch is currently 1.6 million square kilometers). Humanity relies heavily on oceanic processes and marine resources, if more sustainable practices were used and enforced the ocean (and the global environment) wouldn’t be in such a compromised position. The ocean also acts as a HUGE carbon sink so not only do human lives revolve around the ocean in the literal resource sense but it is also taking in so much of the carbon humanity produces. The ocean can’t take in carbon forever, the effects of this are already been seen in phytoplankton and zooplankton, the ocean is becoming warmer and nutrient deficient which will have cascading effects on marine food chains.

Veganism and Carbon Dioxide

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When it comes to reducing carbon footprint and greenhouse effect, most people think of recycling or saving shower time to reduce water usage. However, one of the major ways that contributes to carbon footprint that we less often discuss is the cultivation and the consumption of meat. Surely, we hear about ¨green mondays¨ and we are encouraged to eat plant-based meals once in a while. However, the preaching of vegetarianism or veganism is still a radical idea for many. In this short article, I would like to compare the impact that veganism would have on reducing carbon footprint vs other methods. According to PETA UK, the amount of meat that a meat-eater consumes on a daily basis requires 15,000 liters of water to produce. In fact, one single steak itself requires water equivalent to 50 bathtubs to produce. According to a search done by Loma Linda University in California, vegans have the smallest carbon footprint, contributing 41.7 percent less volume of greenhouse gas than meat eaters. 

My point is not to say that saving water in the shower is not useful at carbon footprint, rather, I believe it is an important conversation how useful some of these methods are in comparison to others. Plant-based meals are a wildly available option to many in our country, however, it is not a popular method to combat climate change in comparison to others such as ¨turning off the lights¨ or ¨recycling¨. I believe that it’d be useful if we are educated on the impact that each of these methods have on the environment so that we have a better understanding of the consequences of our actions. 

Citation:

Fight the Climate Crisis

https://www.peta.org/issues/animals-used-for-food/fight-the-climate-crisis/

Fluckiger, 10 Shocking Stats About Water and Meat-Eating, 2021

https://www.peta.org.uk/blog/10-shocking-stats-about-water-and-meat-eating/